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Abstract The effective flow of electrons through bulk electrodes is crucial for achieving high-performance batteries, although the poor conductivity of homocyclic sulfur molecules results in high barriers against the passage of electrons through electrode structures. This phenomenon causes incomplete reactions and the formation of metastable products. To enhance the performance of the electrode, it is important to place substitutable electrification units to accelerate the cleavage of sulfur molecules and increase the selectivity of stable products during charging and discharging. Herein, we develop a single-atom-charging strategy to address the electron transport issues in bulk sulfur electrodes. The establishment of the synergistic interaction between the adsorption model and electronic transfer helps us achieve a high level of selectivity towards the desirable short-chain sodium polysulfides during the practical battery test. These finding indicates that the atomic manganese sites have an enhanced ability to capture and donate electrons. Additionally, the charge transfer process facilitates the rearrangement of sodium ions, thereby accelerating the kinetics of the sodium ions through the electrostatic force. These combined effects improve pathway selectivity and conversion to stable products during the redox process, leading to superior electrochemical performance for room temperature sodium-sulfur batteries.

During outdoor work in April 2022, a 48-year-old man was stabbed by a tree branch and underwent intraocular foreign body extraction and repair of the scleral wound with sutures and amniotic membrane graft at a local hospital. Steroid therapy with prednisone was prescribed after a diagnosis of uveitis. Vitrectomy was performed in June 2023; a fungal culture was positive, and ITS sequencing identified the organism as Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum. Empiric antifungal therapy did not have an effect, and, because of deterioration of the condition, the left eye was enucleated in October 2023. P. diffractum is a mangrove host-specific saprophytic fungus that has not been reported in humans.

Abstract Background To report the microbiological isolates, aetiology, complications, antibiotic susceptibilities, and clinical remission of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching and referral hospital located in northern China and to offer appropriate recommendations for preventing and formulating drug treatment strategies. Methods This prospective study recruited a total of 477 participants who had been diagnosed with either dacryocystitis or canaliculitis. The cohort comprised 307 patients with chronic dacryocystitis, 111 patients with acute dacryocystitis, and 59 patients with canaliculitis. Purulent discharge from the lacrimal duct was collected using a sterile swab and immediately subjected to microbial culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted following established protocols. All participants were scheduled for follow-up visits within 14 days after receiving antibiotic therapy. Results The present findings indicated that women exhibited a higher susceptibility to the condition, as evidenced by the occurrence of 367 cases in comparison to 110 cases among men. Among the 477 patients, definitive causes were established in 59 individuals, accounting for 12.4% of the patients. Additionally, ocular complications were reported by 132 patients, representing 27.7% of the total. Monocular involvement was observed in the majority of cases, with 402 out of 477 patients (84.3%) affected, while binocular involvement was present in 75 patients (15.7%). In total, 506 microbiological strains were recovered from 552 eyes, with Staphylococcus epidermidis (16.4%) being the most prevalent microorganism. Other predominant isolates included Corynebacterium macginleyi (9.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.9%), Haemophilus (4.4%), Propionibacterium acnes (3.5%), and Eikenella corrodens (3.1%). Among the 12 isolated fungi, Candida parapsilosis accounted for 66.7%. The susceptibility to antimicrobial agents tested in gram-negative bacilli (79.5%) was observed to be higher than that of anaerobic bacteria (76.7%) and gram-positive cocci (55.4%). With pharmacological therapy, the remission rate of acute dacryocystitis (72.7%) was found to be higher than that of canaliculitis (53.3%) and chronic dacryocystitis (42.3%). Conclusions This study highlights the microbial spectrum of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis, particularly C.macginleyi, E.corrodens and C.parapsilosis, which are also more frequently isolated. Vancomycin and imipenem may be more effective treatment options. Most cases have an unknown aetiology, and essential preventive measures involve postoperative cleansing of the lacrimal passage following eye and nasal surgeries, as well as the proactive management of rhinitis.

Abstract To achieve integrated resource utilization of graphite tailings to improve their water-holding capacity, river silt and cow dung powder were added to graphite tailings as organic matter improvers. Improver ratios were designed using 4 g cow dung powder and 20, 30, and 50 g river silt. Soil–water characterization tests were performed using a combined tensiometer and filter paper method based on optimum density measurements. Analysis of the influence of river silt dosing on the soil–water characteristic curves of improved graphite tailing specimens was performed with data fitting using the Van Genuchten model. Here, we investigated the effect of river silt dosing on the internal pore structure and water-holding capacity of modified graphite tailing samples and verified the applicability of the model to graphite tailings. Our results demonstrate that the organic matter improver incorporated into graphite tailings can improve the internal structural compactness of graphite tailings, improving the water holding capacity. With an increase in river silt dosage, the saturated water content is larger, and the residual water content increases and then decreases. When river silt dosage is 30 g, the residual water content is the highest at a value of 3.32%. The van Genuchten model was highly accurate for assessing the graphite tailings. With an increase in river silt doping, the internal pore space first decreased and then increased, and the internal structure gradually became compact and loosened. The internal structure was in the optimal state in the experimental study when the dosage of cow dung powder was 4 g and the dosage of river silt was 30 g. The water holding capacity was optimal at this time. The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for graphite-tailing-based mine reclamation and play a guiding role in exploring the value of the hydraulic characteristic index parameters when applying graphite tailings engineering.

Abstract Background Mutations in fibrillin-1 (FBN1) are known to be associated with Marfan syndrome (MFS), an autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder. Most FBN1 mutations are missense or nonsense mutations. Traditional molecular genetic testing for the FBN1 gene, like Sanger sequencing, may miss disease-causing mutations in the gene’s regulatory regions or non-coding sequences, as well as partial or complete gene deletions and duplications. Methods Next-generation sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and gap PCR were conducted on two MFS patients to screen for disease-causing mutations. Results We identified two large deletions in FBN1 from two MFS patients. One patient had a 0.23 Mb deletion (NC_000015.9:g.48550506_48779360del) including 5’UTR-exon6 of FBN1. The other patient harbored a 1416 bp deletion (NC_000015.9:g.48410869_48412284del) affecting the last exon, exon 66, of the FBN1 gene. Conclusion Our results expanded the number of large FBN1 deletions and highlighted the importance of screening for large deletions in FBN1 in clinical genetic testing, especially for those with the classic MFS phenotype.

Intratumoral microbiota can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and mediate tumor prognosis by promoting inflammatory response or inhibiting anti-tumor effects. Recent studies have elucidated the potential role of local tumor microbiota in the development and progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, whether intratumoral microbes are involved in the TIME that mediates the prognosis of LUAD remains unknown. Here, we obtained the matched tumor microbiome and host transcriptome and survival data of 478 patients with LUAD in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Machine learning models based on immune cell marker genes can predict 1- to 5-year survival with relative accuracy. Patients were stratified into high- and low-survival-risk groups based on immune cell marker genes, with significant differences in intratumoral microbial communities. Specifically, patients in the high-risk group had significantly higher alpha diversity (p < 0.05) and were characterized by an enrichment of lung cancer-related genera such as Streptococcus. However, network analysis highlighted a more active pattern of dominant bacteria and immune cell crosstalk in TIME in the low-risk group compared to the high-risk group. Our study demonstrated that intratumoral microbiota-immune crosstalk was strongly associated with prognosis in LUAD patients, which would provide new targets for the development of precise therapeutic strategies.

More and more attention has been focused on Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) because of the high ionic conductivity and excellent chemical stability. It is great significance to find suitable dopants for locking cubic LLZO and improving the conductivity of Li+ ions. The uniform nano powder can be obtained by the sol gel synthetic method, which is conducive to maintaining high sintering activity. In this work, Ga and Nb dual doped LLZO solid electrolyte powders were synthesized via sol gel method, and Ga and Nb dual doped LLZO solid electrolyte ceramic were obtained via traditional solid state sintering method. The phase and microstructure of Ga and Nb co-doped LLZO solid electrolyte were analyzed by combine X-ray diffraction with scanning electron microscope. The impedance of Ga and Nb dual doped LLZO (Li6.8-3xGaxLa3Zr1.8Nb0.2O12 (0≤x≤0.3)) solid electrolyte was measured by the electrochemical workstation, and then the conductivity was calculated. The results show that when the doping amount of Ga is x=0.2, it is a pure cubic LLZO structure with the highest conductivity value of 3.7×10-4 S cm-1 (tested at room temperature) due to the sample has a high relative density and reaches the optimal Li+ vacancy concentration.

Abstract Background The increasingly severe salinization of the aquatic environment has led to serious damage to the habitats of aquatic organisms. Benthic diatoms are commonly employed as indicator species for assessing water quality and serve as a reflection of the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem. Nitzschia palea is a common diatom found in freshwater, with high oil content, rapid reproductive rate, and it is a commonly dominant species in various rivers. Results The results showed that after 4 days (d) of saline-alkali stress, the cell density and chlorophyll a content of Nitzschia palea reached their maximum values. Therefore, we selected Nitzschia palea under 4 d stress for Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) quantitative proteomic analysis to explore the molecular adaptation mechanism of freshwater diatoms under saline-alkali stress. Totally, 854 proteins were enriched, of which 439 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and subcellular fractionation analysis revealed that these proteins were mainly enriched in the photosynthesis pathway, citric acid cycle (TCA cycle), fatty acid synthesis, and glutathione cycle. Conclusions This study aims to reveal the physiological, biochemical and proteomic mechanisms of salt and alkali tolerance and molecular adaptation of Nitzschia palea under different saline-alkali concentrations. This study showed that Nitzschia palea is one candidate of the environmental friendly, renewable bioenergy microalgae. Meantime, Nitzschia palea reveals for the proteome of the freshwater and provides the basis, it became a model algal species for freshwater diatoms.

During the investigation of the freshwater diatoms from Tibet, a monoraphid species was observed from a hot spring near Anduo County, located on a plateau in the central portion of Tibet. This species shares the diagnostic features of Crenotia, such as the valve bent along the transapical axis, striae uniseriate to biseriate from centre to the apices and areolae with special structures located at the end of each stria. We compared the morphological characters of this new species with the others in this genus and show it to be new; it is named Crenotia tibetia sp. nov. This species has small valves with slightly protracted ends with nearly capitate apices, lanceolate axial area, central area unilaterally expanded to the margin, striae uniseriate to biseriate, but, in some valves, the striae are only uniseriate. Areolae are round small to irregular in shape and, at the end of each stria, there is a horseshoe-shaped areola present. Observations of developing valves show all the striae begin biseriate, then they become covered by silica to form uniseriate striae. Comparisons are made amongst the species in this genus and with genera assigned to the Achnanthidiaceae.

Diabetes, a multifaceted metabolic disorder, poses a significant global health burden with its increasing prevalence and associated complications, such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and diabetic angiopathy. Recent studies have highlighted the intricate interplay between N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in key pathways implicated in these diabetes complications, like cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Thus, understanding the mechanistic insights into how m6A dysregulation impacts the expression and function of ncRNAs opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting the m6A-ncRNAs axis in diabetes complications. This review explores the regulatory roles of m6A modifications and ncRNAs, and stresses the role of the m6A-ncRNA axis in diabetes complications, providing a therapeutic potential for these diseases.

Microbial keratitis (MK) is the fourth leading cause of blindness globally, imposing a substantial burden on the healthcare system. This study aims to determine the cost composition of MK patients and explore factors influencing these expenses. We analyzed the demographics, clinical features, and costs of 602 MK patients treated at Beijing Tongren Hospital from June 2021 to October 2023. The analysis revealed the average total cost of treating MK was USD 1646.8, with a median of USD 550.3 (IQR: 333.3–1239.1). Patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) incurred the highest median total costs at USD 706.2 (IQR: 399.2–3370.2). Additionally, AK patients faced the highest costs for ophthalmic exams and laboratory tests (both p < 0.001), while patients with fungal keratitis (FK) and viral keratitis (VK) experienced higher medication costs. Costs varied significantly with the severity of MK, especially for outpatients at severity level 4, which was markedly higher than levels 1–3 (USD 1520.1 vs. USD 401.0, p < 0.001). Delayed presentation also resulted in increased costs (USD 385.2 vs. USD 600.3, p < 0.001). Our study highlights the financial burden associated with MK treatment and underscores the importance of timely and accurate diagnosis and intervention.

Cadmium is a persistent heavy metal commonly found in aquatic ecosystems and has a strong toxic effect on organisms. The sensitivity of phytoplankton to environmental changes and its role as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health have been well-established. However, the mechanisms by which phytoplankton respond to cadmium remain incompletely understood. In this study, we chose the typical planktonic diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana Kützing, by integrating physiological-biochemical data and transcriptome analysis, to reveal the molecular mechanisms of C. meneghiniana responing to cadmium. Under cadmium stress, the cell density and chlorophyll-a content of C. meneghiniana significantly decreased, while MDA content and SOD activity gradually increased. At 72 h of cadmium stress, we found that at this time point, cell abundance and physiological variation were very significant, therefore we selected 72 h for subsequent analysis. To better understand the cadmium stress response mechanisms of C. meneghiniana, a de novo transcriptome method was used to analyse C. meneghiniana under cadmium stress for 72 h, and 1704 (M vs. CK) and 4788 (H vs. CK) differentially expressed genes were found. Our results showed that the changes in gene expression were closely correlated to the physiological-biochemical changes. Although cadmium stress could promote the nitrogen metabolism pathway, ROS scavenging system, and photosynthesis. While, C. meneghiniana under medium and high concentrations of cadmium can also limit various intracellular metabolic pathways, such as the MAPK pathway and phosphatidylinositol metabolic pathway, and the degree of inhibition increases with the increase of stress concentration. In present study, the complete molecular mechanism of the planktonic diatom response to cadmium has been established, which provided important information for further studies on heavy metal pollutants and the multiple functional genes responsible for cadmium sensitivity and tolerance in planktonic diatoms.

Diatoms are an indispensable component of river ecosystem biodiversity and play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. The community assembly mechanism of diatoms has always been a central issue in the study of aquatic ecology. In recent years, many measures have been implemented in the Ashi River Basin (ASRB) to promote social and economic development, such as bridge construction, river bottom sand mining, agricultural irrigation, and urban expansion. However, there are few studies on the effects of these activities on the mechanism of diatom community assembly. First, we found that the α- and β-diversity of planktonic diatoms was higher in the normal season, while the α- and β-diversity of benthic diatoms was higher in the dry season, and the α- and β-diversity of both planktonic and benthic diatoms was reduced in the wet season. Second, the community structures of planktonic and benthic diatoms were significantly different in different hydrological periods, and the differences between planktonic diatoms communities were more evident than those between benthic diatom communities. Third, distance-decay analysis indicated that the distribution of the two types of diatom communities in the ASRB was influenced by both dispersal limitation and environmental selection. Finally, variance partitioning analysis revealed that dispersal limitation was the dominant driving factor for the spatial and temporal differentiation of planktonic and benthic diatoms. Our study reveals the important role of dispersal limitation in the community assembly of planktonic and benthic diatoms in rivers under different hydrological conditions. This study provides new insights for further understanding the relative importance of niche theory and neutral theory to aquatic microbial community assembly. Our research provides key information for analysing the structure of aquatic ecosystems and basic data for designing biodiversity conservation strategies in China's cold watersheds.

Functional classification is widely recognized as an important approach for characterizing phytoplankton community response to environmental change in freshwater ecosystems. However, there are few studies of that type examining the northeast (NE) China wetlands. The study aimed to evaluate the capacities of phytoplankton functional groups (FGs), morpho-functional groups (MFGs), and morphology-based functional groups (MBFGs), to characterize phytoplankton response to environmental heterogeneity in two wetlands with different nutrient levels. Water quality variables and phytoplankton were examined in the Longfeng and Hulanhe wetlands located on the Songnen Plain, NE China, in 2013. Multivariate analyses (RDA) were performed to compare three functional classification approaches to environmental heterogeneity. Our results revealed that all three functional classification approaches (FGs, MFGs, and MBFG) could characterize the phytoplankton community response to environmental heterogeneity. MBFG had the highest cumulative percentage variance of species composition. We suggest using MBFG as a routine tool to characterize environmental heterogeneity in wetlands NE China. Furthermore, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH were key predictors for regulating the ecological distribution of the phytoplankton community pattern in the study area. This study further highlights that MBFG is a relevant tool in assessing ecological health in wetland ecosystems.

Abstract Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been a huge threat for people's health and finding effective target therapy is urgent and important. WWP2, as one of E3 ubiquitin ligase, is involved in many biological processes by specifically binding to substrates. PARP1 plays a role in cell apoptosis and is considered as a therapeutic target of certain cancers. In this study, we firstly found that WWP2 expressed higher in newly diagnosed ALL patients comparing with complete remission (CR) ALL patients and normal control people, and WWP2 in relapse ALL patients expressed higher than normal control people. WWP2 expression was related with the FAB subtype of ALL and the proportion of blast cells in bone marrow blood tested by flow cytometry. We demonstrated knockout WWP2 inhibited the ALL growth and enhanced apoptosis induced by Dox in vitro and vivo for the first time. WWP2 negatively regulated and interacted with PARP1 and WWP2 mechanically degraded PARP1 through polyubiquitin-proteasome pathway in ALL. These findings suggested WWP2 played a role in ALL development as well as growth and apoptosis, and also displayed a regulatory pathway of PARP1, which provided a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ALL.

Abstract Background Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been proven as a marker for detecting minimal residual diseases following systemic therapies in mid-to-late-stage non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) by multiple studies. However, fewer studies cast light on ctDNA-based MRD monitoring in early-to-mid-stage NSCLCs that received surgical resection as the standard of care. Methods We prospectively recruited 128 patients with stage I–III NSCLCs who received curative surgical resections in our Lung Cancer Tempo-spatial Heterogeneity prospective cohort. Plasma samples were collected before the surgery, 7 days after the surgery, and every 3 months thereafter. Targeted sequencing was performed on a total of 628 plasma samples and 645 matched tumor samples using a panel covering 425 cancer-associated genes. Tissue clonal phylogeny of each patient was reconstructed and used to guide ctDNA detection. Results The results demonstrated that ctDNA was more frequently detected in patients with higher stage diseases pre- and postsurgery. Positive ctDNA detection at as early as 7 days postsurgery identified high-risk patients with recurrence (HR = 3.90, P

Aiming at the problem that the vibration signal of planetary gearboxes has strong non-stationary characteristics， few fault samples and the dependence of traditional deep learning on data， an intelligent diagnosis method for planetary gearboxes based on continuous wavelet transform（CWT） and model agnostic meta learning（MAML） is proposed. First， the vibration signal of the planetary gearbox is converted into a time-frequency image through CWT， which effectively expresses the non-stationary characteristics of the planetary gearbox； then， the ability of “learning to learn” of MAML is used to train small samples of time-frequency images， and finally the “unseen” faults of planetary gearboxes are tested. Through fault diagnosis experiments of planetary gearboxes under different sample sizes， working conditions and noise environments， a conclusion is drawn that the proposed method has higher recognition accuracy， generalization and robustness compared with other methods.

Anthropogenic eutrophication has universally threatened river ecological health and has been a key issue in river conservation. Agricultural sewage, which leads to increased nutrient levels and results in the loss of ecological function and biodiversity, results from the growth of agricultural activity and human populations. Consequently, attention has increasingly been focused on developing a relevant tool to describe the relationship between the biotic communities and anthropogenic eutrophication. The benthic diatom community has been widely used as an effective tool for indicating the ecological status of river systems especially in the context of recent international Water Framework Directive policies (WFD). In this study, a statistical method consisting of trophic status index (TSI), Specific Polluosensitivity Index (IPS), Descy Index (DES), redundancy analysis (RDA), and the geographic information system (GIS) technique was conducted to explore the response of benthic diatom community to anthropogenic eutrophication. Initially, the TSI, IPS and DES were determined to differentiate the trophic gradient along a gradient in agricultural intensity. Subsequently, RDA was used to identify spatial distribution patterns of environmental parameters and benthic diatom communities. Finally, the RDA scores as calculated and spatially interpolated were applied to GIS technology to reveal the response of benthic diatom communities to anthropogenic impacts along the trophic gradient. Our results revealed that the studied basin mostly exceeded the eutrophic level. Two different patterns of diatom communities response to ecological gradient were identified based on RDA, one representing the agriculture eutrophication discharges in electrical conductivity (EC) and the other representing organic pollution as chemical oxygen demand (COD). The developed method in this study highlight that the EC was more effective than the nutrient indices in determining diatom distribution in a eutrophic agriculturally-influenced river system.

Abstract Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in the pathogenesis of cancers. However, biological roles of lncRNAs in occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. The current study aimed to evaluate the expression pattern of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Methods RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 6 CRC patients was performed and functional lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network was constructed afterwards. Gene enrichment analysis was demonstrated using DAVID 6.8 tool. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to validate the expression pattern of differentially expressed lncRNAs. Pearson correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the relationships between selected lncRNAs and mRNAs. Results One thousand seven hundred and sixteenth differentially expressed mRNAs and 311 differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out. Among these, 568 mRNAs were up-regulated while 1148 mRNAs down-regulated, similarly 125 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 186 lncRNAs down-regulated. In addition, 1448 lncRNA–mRNA co-expression pairs were screened out from 940,905 candidate lncRNA-mRNA pairs. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that these lncRNA-related mRNAs are associated with cell adhesion, collagen adhesion, cell differentiation, and mainly enriched in ECM-receptor interaction and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Finally, RT-qPCR results verified the expression pattern of lncRNAs, as well as the relationships between lncRNAs and mRNAs in 60 pairs of CRC tissues. Conclusions In conclusion, these results of the RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis strongly suggested that the dysregulation of lncRNA is involved in the complicated process of CRC development, and providing important insight regarding the lncRNAs involved in CRC.

Island tourism is a popular form of tourism today. The Beibu Gulf islands are rich in resources, which has made the tourism booming. Qixing Island in Beibu Gulf locates in low latitude, has rich biodiversity, rich and diverse tourism resources. The ecological environment in the island is pleasant and has important protection and development value. The tourism resources of Qixing Island were investigated and classified by field investigation, questionnaire survey and document sorting, to discuss the development orientation and development plan of Qixing Island, put forward protection measures such as inheriting local culture, building mangrove base and developing characteristic tourism projects such as bicycle tour around the island and net fishing, so as to provide scientific basis for the sustainable development of islands in Guangxi.

Modulating single-metal sites at the atomic level can boost the intrinsic catalytic activity. Here, the authors describe the design of Pt atomic clusters containing Pt-O-Pt units supported on Co single atoms and N co-doped carbon for enhanced hydrogen evolution catalysis.

In this study, we explored the driving factors behind plankton community structure. Due to the rapid development of cities, the occupation and development of wetland resources have increased lately, making the urban wetland ecosystems unstable and degrading the ecological functions gradually. Understanding the driving factors behind plankton community structure has certain theoretical and guiding significance for the protection, sustainable development, and ecological restoration of aquatic biodiversity in urban wetland ecosystems. We set up 12 sampling points in the Hulanhe Wetland, with the continuous monitoring of plankton from April to August and October 2021. The eco-environmental factors, plankton community structure, biodiversity index, resource use efficiency (RUE), and Bray–Curtis community turnover value were analyzed. A total of 209 species of 91 genera, 42 families, 11 classes, 22 orders of phytoplankton, and 90 species of four classes of zooplankton were identified. The community structure was mainly composed of Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Protozoa, and Rotifera. To explore the correlation between phytoplankton and zooplankton, a correlation study was performed. We found a stable feeding preference between phytoplankton and zooplankton. The key influencing factors were identified by ordinary least squares regression, and the main driving factors of plankton community structure were discussed. The results showed that the stability of the Increased biodiversity and resource utilization efficiency have led to more stable plankton communities. This stability pattern is also strongly affected by water temperature, pH and total nitrogen in the external environment. This study will be helpful in the restoration of damaged wetlands, which would be beneficial for the protection of urban wetland ecosystems.

Peach is an economically important fruit tree crop worldwide. The external color of the fruit governs the peach price, especially in fruits with different degrees of blush. Molecular marker-assisted breeding has become a necessary part of modern breeding practices, increasing their efficiency. Although the key related genes responsible for peel coloration have been found in peach, corresponding molecular markers have not been widely used in peach breeding. The development of molecular markers for peach peel color needs to be advanced and implemented in practice. This study aimed to explore the variation related to peach skin color and to develop molecular markers linked to these variants that can be used in breeding. By analyzing the expression of anthocyanin synthesis-related and regulatory genes, we confirmed that MYB10.1 is a key gene controlling skin color. We further identified that 5243 bp insertion and 483 bp deletion in the MYB10.1 promoter was highly associated with peach skin color phenotypes. In addition, we identified one transposon insertion mutation at the −2706 bp position of the MYB10.1 promoter associated with the non-red fruit skin trait and developed a molecular marker for validation. The insertion size amplified from the ‘ShiYuBaiTao’ genome DNA was approximately 3.5 kb. However, it explained a lower percentage of the non-red skin phenotype variance in peach, at 36.1%, compared to MYB10.1-2/MYB10.1-2 in this study. Based on these results, we propose that MYB10.1-2/MYB10.1-2 should not only be the only non-red skin genotype assessed but should also be combined with other molecular makers to increase the prediction accuracy of peach skin color.

Abstract Objectives The chemokine CXCL1, known as growth-related oncogene α (GRO-α), is a potent chemoattractant and regulator of neutrophils. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the regulatory response of CXCL1 in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the active stage of disease and to assess whether it was implicated in the pathogenesis/inflammatory process in lupus. Methods CXCL1 serum concentrations were examined in 90 SLE patients, 56 other autoimmune diseases (OADs) patients and 100 healthy controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent methodology. Results SLE patients exhibited significant increases in serum CXCL1 concentrations [1492.86 (735.47–2887.34) pg/ml] compared with OADs patients [155.88 (10.77–366.78) pg/ml] and healthy controls [13.58 (8.46–37.22) pg/ml] (p

Diatoms are useful indicators of lotic ecosystem environmental conditions, but little is known of differences between benthic and planktonic diatom assemblages as it relates to water quality changes in large lotic systems. Heavy rainfall event in Songhua River Basin is infrequent. The water quality of Songhua River Basin is closely implication for regional ecological health and food safety. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of benthic and planktonic diatom assemblages for indicating water quality during a rainstorm event, which has been little studied. Spatial variation of benthic and planktonic diatom assemblages were investigated in Songhua River Basin during a rainstorm event. Firstly, we found that richness and abundances of benthic and planktonic diatom communities were low. Secondly, results of two-way cluster analysis (TWCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that diatom assemblage still had the potential to indicate water quality despite the strong flow caused by rainstorm event. Thirdly, alpha diversity indices (Shannon-weaver, Margalef, and Pielou indices) had a weak ability in indicating water quality during rainstorm event. Conversely, trophic diatom index (TDI) was observed closely associate with water quality change. Fourthly, Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicating that planktonic diatoms assemblages were more sensitive to changes in turbidity. RDA also revealed that benthic diatom assemblages was closely related to chemical oxygen demand (CODcr), total phosphorus (TP), and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of water quality assessment between planktonic and benthic diatoms had a significant different. The results of the study provide a key information about diatom-based biomonitoring in the extreme condition at lotic ecosystem. Our study highlights that rational choices of appropriate diatom metrics for biological monitoring of water quality in large lotic ecosystems are critical for assessments during a rainstorm event. More studies during rainstorm period at different precipitation are required to fully understand how natural disturbance shape diatom assemblage in lotic ecosystem with aims to improve biomonitoring efforts.

BackgroundTNBC, whose clinical prognosis is poorer than other subgroups of breast cancer, is a malignant tumor characterized by lack of estrogen receptors, progesterone hormone receptors, and HER2 overexpression. Due to the lack of specific targeted drugs, it is crucial to identify critical factors involved in regulating the progression of TNBC.MethodsWe analyzed the expression profiles of TNBC in TCGA and the prognoses values of GLDC. Correlations of GLDC and tumor immune infiltration were also identified. CCK8 and BrdU incorporation assays were utilized to determine cell proliferation. The mRNA and protein levels were examined by using Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis.ResultsIn the present study, we analyzed the mRNA expression profiles of TNBC in TCGA and found that GLDC, a key enzyme in glycine cleavage system, was significantly up-regulated in TNBC tissues and higher expression of GLDC was correlated with a worse prognosis in TNBC. Moreover, the expression of GLDC was negatively correlated with macrophage and monocyte and positively correlated with activated CD4 T cell and type 2 T helper cell in TNBC. Overexpression of GLDC facilitated the proliferation of TNBC cells, whereas GLDC knockdown had the opposite effects. Additionally, miR-30e acts as a functional upstream regulator of GLDC and the inhibitory effects of miR-30e on cell proliferation were mitigated by the reintroduction of GLDC.ConclusionsThese results imply that miR-30e-depressed GLDC acts as a tumor suppressive pathway in TNBC and provides potential targets for the treatment of TNBC.

Polysaccharide capsule is the main virulence factor of K. pneumoniae, a major pathogen of bloodstream infections in humans. While more than 80 capsular serotypes have been identified in K. pneumoniae, only several serotypes are frequently identified in invasive infections. It is documented that the capsule enhances bacterial resistance to phagocytosis, antimicrobial peptides and complement deposition under in vitro conditions. However, the precise role of the capsule in the process of K. pneumoniae bloodstream infections remains to be elucidated. Here we show that the capsule promotes K. pneumoniae survival in the bloodstream by protecting bacteria from being captured by liver resident macrophage Kupffer cells (KCs). Our real-time in vivo imaging revealed that blood-borne acapsular K. pneumoniae mutant is rapidly captured and killed by KCs in the liver sinusoids of mice, whereas, to various extents, encapsulated strains bypass the anti-bacterial machinery in a serotype-dependent manner. Using capsule switched strains, we show that certain high-virulence (HV) capsular serotypes completely block KC's capture, whereas the low-virulence (LV) counterparts confer partial protection against KC's capture. Moreover, KC's capture of the LV K. pneumoniae could be in vivo neutralized by free capsular polysaccharides of homologous but not heterologous serotypes, indicating that KCs specifically recognize the LV capsules. Finally, immunization with inactivated K. pneumoniae enables KCs to capture the HV K. pneumoniae. Together, our findings have uncovered that KCs are the major target cells of K. pneumoniae capsule to promote bacterial survival and virulence, which can be reversed by vaccination.

E3 ubiquitin ligases, an important part of ubiquitin proteasome system, catalyze the covalent binding of ubiquitin to target substrates, which plays a role in protein ubiquitination and regulates different biological process. DNA damage response (DDR) is induced in response to DNA damage to maintain genome integrity and stability, and this process has crucial significance to a series of cell activities such as differentiation, apoptosis, cell cycle. The NEDD4 family, belonging to HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases, is reported as regulators that participate in the DDR process by recognizing different substrates. In this review, we summarize recent researches on NEDD4 family members in the DDR and discuss the roles of NEDD4 family members in the cascade reactions induced by DNA damage. This review may contribute to the further study of pathophysiology for certain diseases and pharmacology for targeted drugs.

Based on the phytoplankton community matrices in the Ashi River Basin (ASRB), Harbin city, we developed an evaluation method using the phytoplankton index of biotic integrity (P-IBI) to evaluate ecological health while investigating the response of P-IBI to anthropogenic activities. We compared the effectiveness of P-IBI with that of the water quality index (WQI) in assessing ecological health. Between April and October 2019, phytoplankton and water samples were collected at 17 sampling sites in the ASRB on a seasonal basis. Our results showed that seven phyla were identified, comprising 137 phytoplankton species. From a pool of 35 candidate indices, five critical ecological indices (Shannon–Wiener index, total biomass, percentage of motile diatoms, percentage of stipitate diatom, and diatom quotient) were selected to evaluate the biological integrity of phytoplankton in the ASRB. The ecological status of the ASRB as measured by the P-IBI and WQI exhibited a similar spatial pattern. It showed a spatial decline in ecological status in accordance with the flow of the river. These results highlighted that P-IBI was a reliable tool to indicate the interaction between habitat conditions and environmental factors in the ASRB. Our findings contribute to the ecological monitoring and protection of rivers impacted by anthropogenic pollution.

Abstract Objective To investigate the effect of Acapella training on respiratory function in patients undergoing video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Methods A total of 60 patients undergoing VATS surgery for lung cancer in the department of thoracic Surgery of our hospital from August 2018 to February 2019 were selected as study subjects, and were divided into observation group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) according to the random number table method. The control group received routine pulmonary rehabilitation exercise after surgery, and the patients in the observation group received postoperative respiratory function exercise with Acapella therapeutic apparatus on the basis of the control group. Respiratory function, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory capacity in the first second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and length of hospital stay, were observed and compared between the two groups before and after using Acapell trainer. Results There was no significant difference in FEV1, FVC, and PEF between the two groups before treatment with Acapella (P >.05), the difference between the above indicators after treatment and before treatment was statistically significant (P

Rare earth chitosan chelate salt (RECC) is a potential feed additive and is a product of the chelation effect between rare earth ions and chitosan. This research study aims to explore the effects of dietary RECC on performance, egg quality, intestinal digestive function, and the immune and antioxidant capacity of laying hens in the late phase of production. A total of 360 56-week-old Dawu Jinfeng laying hens were randomly allotted into four treatment groups with six replicates per treatment and 15 birds per replicate. The laying hens were fed the basal diet supplemented with, respectively, 0 (control: CON), 100 (R1), 200 (R2), and 400 (R3) mg/kg for 8 weeks. Dietary RECC significantly improved average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily egg yield in both linear and quadratic manner (p < 0.05). In addition, albumen height and HU were improved significantly (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner of RECC. In addition, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in serum TP, IgA, and MDA for the R1 group and IgG in the R2 group were notable, while the increase in serum TP and decrease in T-AOC were found for R3 dietary group compared to CON (p < 0.05). The level of intestinal IL-2 and TNF-α was decreased by dietary RECC (p < 0.01). The activities of the digestive enzyme (α-Amylase, lipase, and Trypsin) showed a quadratic change with an increase and then decrease in response to increasing dose of RECC, 200 mg/kg RECC significantly increased the activity of lipase and Trypsin (p < 0.01). Supplementation of dietary RECC at low doses compared to higher doses impacted positive effects on the antioxidant capacity and immune function (p < 0.05). The utilization of RECC as a feed additive in the diet of aged laying hens exerted beneficial effects on egg production, albumen quality, humoral immunity, inflammatory response, and activity of digestive enzymes. Thus, the regulation of antioxidant capacity and duodenal function via increased enzyme activity and immune and inflammatory response were critical to the improvement of laying performance and egg quality in aged hens. The optimal supplemental dose is 100–200 mg/kg.

Abstract The relationship between biodiversity and ecological functioning is a central issue in freshwater ecology, but how this relationship is influenced by hydrological connectivity stress is still unknown. In this study we analyzed the dynamic of the phytoplankton alpha diversity indices and their relationships with trophic state in two hydrologically connected aquatic habitats (Jinhewan Wetland and Harbin Section of the Songhua River) in the Songhua River Basin in northeast China. We hypothesized that the phytoplankton alpha-diversity indices have the potential to provide a signal linking trophic state variation in hydrologically connected aquatic habitats. Our results showed the Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta were abundant at most stations. T-test showed that phytoplankton alpha diversity indices varied significantly between rainy season and dry season. Trophic State Index recorded that a meso-trophic to eutrophic states of two connected habits during study period. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the dynamic of phytoplankton alpha diversity index was closely associated with trophic states change. Our result indicated that hydrological connectivity is a key factor influenced phytoplankton community assembly. In addition, it is beneficial to develop an integrated approach to appropriately describe and measure the trophic state variations of hydrologically connected aquatic habits in freshwater ecosystem.

Abstract Background Few chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk prediction models have been investigated in low- and middle-income areas worldwide. We developed new risk scores for predicting incident CKD in low- and middle-income rural Chinese populations. Methods Data from the Handan Eye Study, which was a village-based cohort study and conducted from 2006 to 2013, were utilized as part of this analysis. The present study utilized data generated from 3266 participants who were ≥ 30 years of age. Two risk models for predicting incident CKD were derived using two-thirds of the sample cohort (selected randomly) using stepwise logistic regression, and were subsequently validated using data from the final third of the sample cohort. In addition, two simple point systems for incident CKD were generated according to the procedures described in the Framingham Study. CKD was defined as reduced renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

Phytoplankton taxonomic α-diversity indices are useful tools to characterize the trophic states in freshwater ecosystems. However, the application of these indices to assess trophic states in large barrier lakes is rare, especially in China. To test the usefulness of phytoplankton taxonomic α-diversity indices in trophic state assessments, we investigated the taxonomic α-diversity-Comprehensive Trophic Level Index (TLI) relationships in the second largest alpine lava barrier lake (Jingpo Lake, China) in the rainy and dry season from 2017 to 2018. Based on a two-year dataset, we found that there was a significant difference in the phytoplankton community, α-diversity indices, and TLI dynamic between the rainy season and the dry season. First, there was significant variation in phytoplankton abundance, the Margalef index, and the Shannon-Wiener index in different hydrological periods (p < 0.05). Second, the mean TLI in the rainy season (44 ± 5) was higher than in the dry season (41 ± 5) (p < 0.05). Lastly, the response characteristics of the Margalef and Shannon-Wiener index with TLI were different in different hydrological periods, and the relationship between the Pielou evenness index and TLI was weak. This study highlights that phytoplankton taxonomic α-diversity indices are relevant tools in water quality assessments but selecting the fit index is necessary. The current study provides key information about phytoplankton community, α-diversity, and trophic states in the largest alpine lava barrier lake, and the results of the study will benefit water quality management and biodiversity conservation in barrier lakes.

Gears are usually measured by the contact metrology method in gear measuring centers or coordinate measuring machines. Recently, three-dimensional (3D) optical scanning, a non-contact metrology method, has been applied in the industry as an advanced measurement technology mainly due to its high efficiency. However, its applications to gears with complicated geometry, such as face gears, are still limited due to its relatively low accuracy and the void of related measurement solutions. In this work, an accurate measurement solution with 3D optical scanning is proposed for the tooth surface deviations of orthogonal face gears. First, point cloud collection is carried out by the 3D scanner. Furthermore, the measurement solution is implemented with a three-stage algorithm by aligning point clouds with the design model. Subsequently, 3D modeling is studied by numbering the points and reconstructing the real tooth surfaces. An example with a measurement experiment and loaded tooth contact analysis is given to show the validity of the proposed method.

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) is an important threat to the yield and quality of brassica crops in China, and has brought serious losses to brassica crops in the Far East, including China and the north. Aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) are the main mediators of TuMV transmission in field production, and not only have strong virus transmission ability (small individuals, strong concealment, and strong fecundity), but are also influenced by the environment, making them difficult to control. Till now, there have been few studies on the resistance to aphids in brassica crops, which depended mainly on pesticide control in agriculture production. However, the control effect was temporarily effective, which also brought environmental pollution, pesticide residues in food products, and destroyed the ecological balance. This study reviews the relationship among brassica crop–TuMV, TuMV–aphid, and brassica crop–aphid interactions, and reveals the influence factors (light, temperature, and CO2 concentration) on brassica crop–TuMV–aphid interactions, summarizing the current research status and main scientific problems about brassica crop–TuMV–aphid interactions. It may provide theoretical guidance for opening up new ways of aphid and TuMV management in brassica crops.

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen responsible for many food outbreaks worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the single and combined effect of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum CICC 6257 (L. plantarum) on the growth, adhesion, invasion, and virulence of gene expressions of Listeria monocytogenes 19112 serotype 4b (L. monocytogenes). Results showed that L. plantarum combined with 2% and 4% (w/v) FOS significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes (3–3.5 log10 CFU/mL reduction) at the incubation temperature of 10 °C and 25 °C. Under the same combination condition, the invasion rates of L. monocytogenes to Caco-2 and BeWo cells were reduced more than 90% compared to the result of the untreated group. After L. plantarum was combined with the 2% and 4% (w/v) FOS treatment, the gene expression of actin-based motility, sigma factor, internalin A, internalin B, positive regulatory factor A, and listeriolysin O significantly (p < 0.05) were reduced over 91%, 77%, 92%, 89%, 79%, and 79% compared to the result of the untreated group, respectively. The inhibition level of the L. plantarum and FOS combination against L. monocytogenes was higher than that of FOS or L. plantarum alone. Overall, these results indicated that the L. plantarum and FOS combination might be an effective formula against L. monocytogenes.

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), which is distributed almost all over the world and has a wide range of hosts, mainly brassica crops, was first described in Brassica rapa in the USA. Plant volatile compounds play an important role in the host searching behavior of natural enemies of herbivorous insects. In this study, TuMV-inoculated resistant and susceptible B. rapa lines were tested using volatile metabolome and transcriptome analyses. In volatile metabolome analysis, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were different after inoculation with TuMV in resistant B80124 and susceptible B80461, and the degree of downregulation of differentially expressed metabolites was more obvious than the degree of upregulation. Through transcriptome analysis, 70% of differentially expressed genes were in biological process, especially focusing on defense response, flavonoid biosynthetic process, and toxin metabolic process, which indicates that TuMV stress maybe accelerate the increase of VOCs. Integrating the metabolome and transcriptome analyses, after inoculating with TuMV, auxin regulation was upregulated, and ARF, IAA and GH3 were also upregulated, which accelerated cell enlargement and plant growth in tryptophan metabolism. The different genes in zeatin biosynthesis pathways were downregulated, which reduced cell division and shoot initiation. However, the metabolite pathways showed upregulation in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and α-linolenic acid metabolism, which could cause cell enlargement and a stress response. This study determined the difference in volatiles between normal plants and infected plants and may lay a foundation for anti-TuMV research in B. rapa.

Abstract Background Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. The transmission route of CRKP isolates within an outbreak is rarely described. This study aimed to reveal the molecular characteristics and transmission route of CRKP isolates within an outbreak of nosocomial infection. Methods Collecting case information, active screening and targeted environmental monitoring were carried out. The antibiotic susceptibility, drug-resistant genes, molecular subtype and whole genome sequence of CRKP strains were analyzed. Results Between October and December 2011, 26 CRKP isolates were collected from eight patients in a surgical intensive care unit and subsequent transfer wards of Beijing Tongren hospital, China. All 26 isolates harbored bla KPC-2, bla SHV-1, and bla CTX-M-15 genes, had the same or similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, and belonged to the sequence type 11 (ST11) clone. By comprehensive consideration of genomic and epidemiological information, a putative transmission map was constructed, including identifying one case as an independent event distinct from the other seven cases, and revealing two transmissions starting from the same case. Conclusions This study provided the first report confirming an outbreak caused by K. pneumoniae ST11 clone co-harboring the bla KPC-2, bla CTX-M-15, and bla SHV-1 genes, and suggested that comprehensive consideration of genomic and epidemiological data can yield a fine transmission map of an outbreak and facilitate the control of nosocomial transmission.

Table of contents 01 The eco-toxicological effects of cadmium stress on five ornamental plants Zhouli Liu, Wei Chen, Xingyuan He, Shuai Yu, Weihang Ding 02 Study on the formation and release mechanisms of hydrogen sulfide in Longtan coal mine Jianjun Liu, Yuliang Wu, Kaixiang Fan 03 Coral bleaching in the North Reef of China’s Xisha Islands in 2014 Yuanchao Li, Xinqing Zheng, Shiquan Chen, Haiqun Xie 04 Soil chemical characteristics in a Cunninghamia lanceolata stand suffering from ice-snow damage Jie Li, Zhuomin Wang, Li Xue 05 Diversity of understory vegetation was under a Cunninghamia lanceolata stand suffering from ice-snow damage Zhiyang Lie, Weilong Huang, Tongtong Zhou, Li Xue 06 The effect of water, nitrogen and harvesting time on yield and biomass allocation of Helianthus tuberosus L. Kai Gao, Tiexia Zhu 07 The vertical variation of microbial communities in the sediment of sea cucumber pond Weiteng Mao, Pei Yu, Xinfang Lv, Yunchun Li 08 Indicating significances of alpine plant functional groups to environmental change Peixi Su, Rui Shi 09 Research on the daily CH4 fluxes of soil in summer mangrove community at Yingluogang of Guangxi, China Yong Jiang, Xingbin Chen, Shichu liang 10 Beach protection structures in middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River Junfeng Xu 11 Social responsibility management of large dam project with owner as core: an empirical case in China Jiwei Zhu, Zhao Zhai, Linan Zhou, Yun Le, Li Cao 12 The ecological function value assessment analysis of urban waterfront Jiwei Zhu, Ping Lu, Zhiqian Huang, Bei Zhou 13 Mechanism of diurnal osmotic potential changes and adjustment of three Caragana species in different habitats of the Inner Mongolia Plateau Zhirong Zheng, Shihai Lv, Chaoyang Feng 14 Biodiversity of phytoplankton and environmental influences analysis of Longfeng Wetland, China Nan Song, Yan Liu, Xinxin Lu, Yawen Fan 15 The effect of human activities on culturable soil microbes from Yaoquan Mountain in Wudalianchi, China Jianfei Guan, Jihua Wang, Xueping Zhang

The Lalin River Basin (LLRB) is a major drainage basin in northeastern China, that has been significantly influenced by agricultural activities. This study focused on exploring diatom taxonomic composition linked to environmental factors at the taxonomic levels of genus and species during ice-covered periods. Nine sampling stations were divided into three groups based on trophic state index (TSI). hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were performed to identify diatom distribution patterns and their relationships to environmental factors. Diatom richness, composition and distribution were analyzed at the levels of genus and species. Our results showed the epipelagic diatom Melosira varians was very abundant at most stations. Benthic diatoms Achnanthidium minutissimum, Encyonema minutum and Gomphonema parvulum were dominant in group-3, which had the highest trophic states. HCA showed the similarity of diatom taxonomic composition spatial distribution patterns between genus and species levels. RDA revealed that the key factors related to genus level distributions are COD, TP and EC, while TP was the key factor in structuring diatom taxonomic composition at the level of species. These results suggest identification of diatoms at genus level can be used as a potential indicator to assess ecological health status of agricultural-influenced rivers during ice cover periods. Further research is necessary to explore the utility of genus level diatom composition as a biological indicator in rivers.

BACKGROUND:Recent studies showed that increased fresh fruit consumption is significantly associated with lower risks of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease (CVD); other studies suggested that albuminuria is associated with diabetes, hypertension, and CVD. Therefore, we hypothesized that lower fresh fruit consumption is associated with higher risk of incident albuminuria among Chinese adults in rural areas, where fresh fruit consumption level is very low and prevalence of albuminuria is high. METHODS:We tested the hypothesis in a village-based cohort study of 3574 participants aged ≥ 30 years from the Handan Eye Study conducted from 2006 to 2013. Albuminuria was defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g. RESULTS:Overall, 35.4% of the participants never or rarely consumed fresh fruits, and 33.9, 21.6, and 9.1% consumed fresh fruits 1-3 times/month, 1-2 times/week, and ≥ 3 times/week, respectively. During a median follow-up period of 5.6 years, albuminuria developed in 17.6% (n = 629) of the participants. Compared with participants who consumed fresh fruits ≥ 3 times/week, the multivariable adjustment odds ratios (ORs) for incident albuminuria associated with fruit consumption 1-2 times/week, 1-3 times/month, and no or rare consumption were 1.58 (95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.05-2.40), 1.74 (95% CI, 1.17-2.58), and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.20-2.64), respectively. After excluding participants with diabetes, the association remained significant. CONCLUSIONS:Lower fresh fruit consumption was significantly associated with higher risk of incident albuminuria, and fresh fruit consumption frequency could be an essential intervention target to prevent albuminuria in rural China.

To develop a new non-invasive risk score for predicting incident diabetes in a rural Chinese population.Data from the Handan Eye Study conducted from 2006-2013 were utilized as part of this analysis. The present study utilized data generated from 4132 participants who were ≥30 years of age. A non-invasive risk model was derived using two-thirds of the sample cohort (selected randomly) using stepwise logistic regression. The model was subsequently validated using data from individuals from the final third of the sample cohort. In addition, a simple point system for incident diabetes was generated according to the procedures described in the Framingham Study. Incident diabetes was defined as follows: (1) fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7.0 mmol/L; or (2) hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥ 6.5%; or (3) self-reported diagnosis of diabetes or use of anti-diabetic medications during the follow-up period.The simple non-invasive risk score included age (8 points), Body mass index (BMI) (3 points), waist circumference (WC) (7 points), and family history of diabetes (9 points). The score ranged from 0 to 27 and the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of the score was 0.686 in the validation sample. At the optimal cutoff value (which was 9), the sensitivity and specificity were 74.32% and 58.82%, respectively.Using information based upon age, BMI, WC, and family history of diabetes, we developed a simple new non-invasive risk score for predicting diabetes onset in a rural Chinese population, using information from individuals aged 30 years of age and older. The new risk score proved to be more optimal in the prediction of incident diabetes than most of the existing risk scores developed in Western and Asian countries. This score system will aid in the identification of individuals who are at risk of developing incident diabetes in rural China.

We estimated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and compared associations of different MetS definitions with coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a rural Chinese population.Among 4,748 residents (2,145 men and 2,603 women) aged 30+ years in rural China from 2006 to 2007, the prevalence of MetS was estimated by using five different definitions: modified World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS), the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) for Asian-Americans, International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and Joint Interim Statement (JIS). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were implemented to estimate the association between MetS and the prevalence of CHD, stroke and PAD, respectively.Prevalence of MetS in men was 11.5% (WHO), 14.8% (CDS), 32.4% (NCEP-ATP III), 27.5% (IDF) and 39.7% (JIS) and in women was 15.7% (WHO), 20.7% (CDS), 54.2% (NCEP-ATP III), 51.5% (IDF) and 54.2% (JIS), respectively. Respective ORs (95% CI) for associating MetS with CHD in men were 1.79 (1.02-3.17), 1.25 (0.69-2.26), 1.61 (1.01-2.58), 1.84 (1.14-2.96), and 1.53 (0.96-2.43). Corresponding ORs (95% CI) for stroke in men were 2.18 (95% CI 1.20 to 3.97), 2.20 (95% CI 1.25 to 3.89), 1.71 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.84), 1.30 (95% CI 0.77 to 2.23), and 1.61 (95% CI 0.97 to 2.68), respectively. In women, CHD and stroke were significantly associated with MetS using all five definitions of MetS. In addition, PAD was associated with all five MetS definitions in men, but not in women. Only hyperglycemia and BMI were significantly associated with PAD in women.In this rural Chinese population, the JIS, IDF and CDS criteria may not be more suitable than WHO and updated NCEP-ATPIII definitions for screening high-risk individuals and estimating the risk of CHD and stroke from MetS, especially in men.

Cyanobacterial harmful blooms (CyanoHABs) that produce microcystins are appearing in an increasing number of freshwater ecosystems worldwide, damaging quality of water for use by human and aquatic life. Heterotrophic bacteria assemblages are thought to be important in transforming and detoxifying microcystins in natural environments. However, little is known about their taxonomic composition or pathways involved in the process. To address this knowledge gap, we compared the metagenomes of Lake Erie free-living bacterioplankton assemblages in laboratory microcosms amended with microcystins relative to unamended controls. A diverse array of bacterial phyla were responsive to elevated supply of microcystins, including Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria of the alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon subdivisions and Verrucomicrobia. At more detailed taxonomic levels, Methylophilales (mainly in genus Methylotenera) and Burkholderiales (mainly in genera Bordetella, Burkholderia, Cupriavidus, Polaromonas, Ralstonia, Polynucleobacter and Variovorax) of Betaproteobacteria were suggested to be more important in microcystin degradation than Sphingomonadales of Alphaproteobacteria. The latter taxa were previously thought to be major microcystin degraders. Homologs to known microcystin-degrading genes (mlr) were not overrepresented in microcystin-amended metagenomes, indicating that Lake Erie bacterioplankton might employ alternative genes and/or pathways in microcystin degradation. Genes for xenobiotic metabolism were overrepresented in microcystin-amended microcosms, suggesting they are important in bacterial degradation of microcystin, a phenomenon that has been identified previously only in eukaryotic systems.

Diabetes, a multifaceted metabolic disorder, poses a significant global health burden with its increasing prevalence and associated complications, such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and diabetic angiopathy. Recent studies have highlighted the intricate interplay between N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in key pathways implicated in these diabetes complications, like cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Thus, understanding the mechanistic insights into how m6A dysregulation impacts the expression and function of ncRNAs opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting the m6AncRNAs axis in diabetes complications. This review explores the regulatory roles ofm6A modifications and ncRNAs, and stresses the role of them6A-ncRNA axis in diabetes complications, providing a therapeutic potential for these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]